Timepiece-dial



No. 6I4,937. Patented Nov. 29, |898. C. F. DIETZ.

TIMEPIECE DIAL.

(Application filed Feb. 5, 189B.)

(No Model.)

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CHRISTOPHER F. DIETZ, OF NEIV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

TIM EPlECE-DIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 614,937', dated November 29, 1898.

i Application filed February 5 1898. Serial No. 669,272. (No model.)

To @ZZ wiz/0m, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHEISTOPHEEFEIEDEE- IGK DIETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing atNew Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Universal Timepieces, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein t'o the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to timepieces provided With dials having a series of concentric suitably-graduated rings and adapted to show the time at any point of longitude, and is an improvement on my Letters Patent No. 328,112, dated October 13, 1885.

The said invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a front elevation of a dial constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section of the same on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a detail view of tlie outer dial-ring, which is movable by hand. Fig. 4 represents a similar View of the dial-ringwhich is driven by clockwork.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the annular dial-case. (Indicated by a dotted line in Fig. 1, but clearly shown in section in Fig. 2.) The xed main dial 2, held within the said dial-case, is provided with a central opening, through which extends the tubular arbor 9, 0f large diameter, carrying a cross-bar 9a, which extends diametrically across the central part of the face of dial a and carries a dial-ring 3, which is rotated over the face of the said dial by clockwork and carries an outwardly-extendingpointer10. Thehourhand 6 and the minute-hand 7 are mounted in the usual way on concentric arbors and driven by ordinary timepiece-clockwork. These arbors extend throughthe tubular arbor 9, and the said hands travel over the dial 2. An-

other ring 4, not operated by the clockwork, but movable by hand, is arranged on the face of the dial next to the casing 1 and fastened by an overhanging set-screw 5 in any position to which it may be turned. The face of this outer ring is graduated with the Arabic numerals 1 to 24., the word Noon being marked on it opposite 12, the word Midnight being marked on it opposite 24, and A. M. and 1). M. being marked, respectively, on the two segments thus formed. Parallel to this series of graduations another and inner circle of graduations on the fixed dial-plate 2 is divided int-o three hundred and sixty degrees, indicated by numerals at intervals of fifteen, beginning at the top and extending therefrom in two reverse series, each of one hundred and eighty degrees,which meet opposite the 24. mark of the outer circle of graduations and have the mark 180 in common. The word South is marked at the top point of this series, the word North at the bottom, \V. longitude.7 at the right, and E longitude at the left. The rotating ring 3 has two successive series of hour and minute graduations, running from right to left, each corresponding to the twelve hour graduations of an ordinary clock-dial, but being contained in half the space. Ooncentrically outside of this circle of graduations is a blank band on the said ring, having the words Noon and Midnight opposite to the characters XII on Vopposite sides of the circle and the letters A. M. and 1). M. midway in the inter` mediate semicircles. That part of the fixed dial-plate 2 has the usual clock-dial graduations for hours and minutes of one-half the day, the series proceeding from left to right in the ordinary manner. Outside of this is another circle of graduations, sixty in number, beginning opposite the fixed mark XII of the said dial, each four degrees being indicated for convenience by a numeral 1, 2, 3, dac., proceeding from left to right, up to 15, which is omitted, as it corresponds to the starting-point. All of these concentric circles of graduation make up one composite dial to the eye.

The hands 6 and 7 are driven by the clockwork of an ordinary timepiece, and the ring 3 is driven by the additional train of wheels shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of my aforesaid patent, to the specification of which reference is hereby made as explaining arrangement, cou nection, and action thereof. The said ring 8 and its pointer, like the hand f of the said patent, make one revolution in twenty-four IOO hours. W'hen the hour-hand is turned by hand in setting, the train of gearing will cause the ring 3 and pointer lO to turn likewise.

To set the clock for any degree of longitudefor example, seventytive degrees west-I proceed as follows: It being known that the hour is eight p. in. at such point of longitude when it is noon at the point of observation, the outer ring 4 is turned to the right until the word Noon thereon is opposite the number 75 marked on the dial 2. The hour-hand G is then turned until both it and the pointer lO point at the number S on the said ring a.

The operation of my improved universal timepiece is as follows: It heilig accurately set for the longitude ot Vashington, for example, and the observer desiring to set it at 11.30 a. m. for longitude seventy-tive degrees west he will rst bring the hour and minute hand, the pointer l0 of the inner ring 3, and center of the word Noon ofthe ring 4; upon the same radial line with the zero-mark oi longitude in the outer series of numerals marked on the main dial 2. IIe then turns the outer ring Ll: until the center of the word Noon is on the same radial line with the mark 75 IV. longitude and clamps it bythe set-screw 5 as thus adjusted. IIe then turns the minute-hand until the pointer l0 is in the same radial line with a point halt-way between ll and l2 on the outer dial-ring thus adjusted. The minute-hand will then be at the bot-tom of the circle. As the inner ring 3 will have been moved correspondingly with the movement of the hands, the relative positions of the series of twenty-four marks on the inner ring and of the said pointers will not have been changed. In consequence the hour and minute hands while traveling over the said dial will point out the number of hours and minutes since any chosen point of time within the past twenty-four hours. This indication is quite independent of longitude and gives the correct interval by universal time. By the addition of these twenty-four numerals in hour-indicating circular series to the clockwork-driven inner ring and by making the outer ring circularly adjustable and graduated both for hours and for longitude, as shown, I am enabled to easily set the clock for any longitude, while at the same time retaining undisturbed universal-time indications. If the rings were fixed and only the pointers movable, as in my former patent, hereinbefore mentioned, the timepiece would show only the time of one longitude until set for another longitude and there would be no way to ascertain the universal time except by a tedious and uncertain exercise of memory with addition and subtraction.

The train of wheels whereby the ring 3 is driven consists of a wheel of twenty-four teeth meshing with that wheel of the clock-train which makes two revolutions in twenty-four hours, a wheel of forty-eight teeth sleeved concentrically with the one iirst above mentioned and turning independently in contact with its face, and three intermediate wheels, one being` of twenty-four teeth and the two others of forty-eight teeth each, for transmitting motion from one of said wheels to the other to drive the inner ring 3, the hub 9 ot the latter being fast on the sleeve of the Iirstnamed wheel of forty-eight teeth and practically integral with the said wheel. As these parts and the construction and arrangement of the same, including the train of ive wheels, may be found in my hereinbetore-mentioned patent, where they are used Vfor driving the hand j', it has been deemed unnecessary to illustrate them again in the drawings oi this application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a timepiece adapted to show simultaneously the universal time and the time of any desired longitude, the movable ring Z3 adapted to be driven by clockwork and to turn with the hour-hand in setting and provided with a pointer IO, corresponding in position to the said hour-han d as well as a series of twentyfour graduations running from XII to I in reverse order and duplicated, a concentric, circularly-adjustable ring provided with a circular series of graduations with numerals from l to 24, a fixed dial with the usual hour-marks and a concentric series of graduations for longitude arranged as described and the ordinary hour-han d and min utc-hand traveling over the face of thedial substantially as set forth.

2. In a timepiece adapted to show simultaneously the universal time and the time of any desired locality, a movable ring 3,adapted to be driven by clockwork and to turn with the hour-hand in setting, and provided with a pointer l0, corresponding in position to the said hour-hand as well as a series of twentyfour graduations running from XII to I in reverse order andduplicated, a concentric ring, circularly adjustable by hand, provided with a circular series of graduations indicated by numerals from l to 24, a screw for clamping this ring in any position of such adjustment, a fixed dial having the usual hourmarks and a concentric series of graduations for longitude arranged as described and the hour-hand and minute-hand traveling over the face ot' the dial substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I ai'lix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER F. DIETZ.

lVitnesses:

THoMAs MoOiin'rv, C. G. REnnN'rIscI-r,

IOO

IIO 

